Another new cyclist - Help

saif

Hi

I have been trying to get into road cycling for the last couple of years. After volunteering in TDF (London) has really inspired me and since then have started riding more & more. Initially did few 10-15 Km rides . Last week I did a 35 Km ride between Beckenham and Downe (Kent).

I would like to know

a. If I can join a club or a group with whom , I can do more mileage in a controlled way ? I'm not too quick yet , but I'm sure with practice I can get better..

b. how can I do round the year cycling and not be limited to summer only ?

c. I have a Bianchi Nirone , 10 spd , How can I use the big chain ring in the front ?

Any help and advice is appreciated.

Diogenes

saif wrote:

Hi

I have been trying to get into road cycling for the last couple of years. After volunteering in TDF (London) has really inspired me and since then have started riding more & more. Initially did few 10-15 Km rides . Last week I did a 35 Km ride between Beckenham and Downe (Kent).

I would like to know

a. If I can join a club or a group with whom , I can do more mileage in a controlled way ? I'm not too quick yet , but I'm sure with practice I can get better..

b. how can I do round the year cycling and not be limited to summer only ?

c. I have a Bianchi Nirone , 10 spd , How can I use the big chain ring in the front ?

Any help and advice is appreciated.

Hi Saif,

Try the CTC (http://ctc.org.uk/) . They have local associations all over the country and generally have a wide range of standards. They will also know where all the other clubs are in your area.

As for round the year riding. Stick some mudguards on, get some decent cold weather gear and lights and ride.

Not sure what you mean by "use the big ring". Get on the flat or a downhill select the big ring and enjoy the speed. You select the big ring by moving the left hand gear selector inwards (toward the frame) and push the button down on the left to move back down.

D

nmcgann

saif wrote:

Hi

c. I have a Bianchi Nirone , 10 spd , How can I use the big chain ring in the front ?

Ride lots, get strong then the big ring is your friend :twisted:

Neil

on the road

You can find a club here http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/si ... Finder.asp

Some clubs are out and racers, so you won't want to join them. Look for clubs that offer social rides. The idea of the social rides is that they go at the pace of the slowest rider.

John Stevenson

saif wrote:

b. how can I do round the year cycling and not be limited to summer only ?

Don't forget the old saying that there's no such thing as bad weather, there's just the wrong clothing. A well-stocked bike shop will be able to help you get kitted out with long-sleeve jerseys, tights, waterproofs etc so you can ride however bad the weather gets.

Some of this stuff's not cheap, but when the weather turns bad, it's worth every penny.

Welcome to road riding and to BikeRadar!

ricadus

john_stevenson wrote:

Some of this stuff's not cheap, but when the weather turns bad, it's worth every penny.

Generally, cycle clothing lasts for years, so in the end is good value, unless it is crazy money (like Rapha's).

saif

Thanks for all the advise , I now seem to be getting the hang of big chain ring and getting friendlier with it ! Still trying to figure out what should be a respectable mileage/time to be able to seek an entry into a cycling club ?

herbie12

ricadus wrote:

john_stevenson wrote:

Some of this stuff's not cheap, but when the weather turns bad, it's worth every penny.

Generally, cycle clothing lasts for years, so in the end is good value, unless it is crazy money (like Rapha's).

But Rapha stuff is sooo pretty! 8)

jonesy124

Hello

I think I have the same bike as you - is it a double or triple chainset?

I have a double and only ever use the larger ring. AT first it was pretty hard but I cycle every day and have gradually learnt to enjoy the increased fitness, power and speed

Do you know roughly how fast you go at the moment?

saif

Hello Jonesy

I too have the double , and yes you are right it was pretty hard for me too for the first few rides , but I'm getting better, and I'm enjoying too !

On the Flat I'm probably doing 30km/h speed. The max I have done is 45km/h. My avg speed is 20km/h when I'm doing 45km circuit in hilly kent. how about yours ..

mea00csf

why only ever use the large chainring??? Is it really that flat?

heavymental

Jonesy...its probably not a great idea to grind big gears all the time. Its a good idea to give your knees a break and spin an easier gear when the going gets tough.

mossycp

Don't get too hung up about using the big ring, you don't have to use it! Concentrate on cadence, you need to spinning the legs at a reasonable rate (80 rpm+) rather than churning round a big gear at low revs.

The other thing with using the big ring is that if you use a big sprocket at the back you will be putting far more wear on the chain because the angle it's running across the cogs is at its extreme. Always aim to have the chain in the middle sprockets as much as possible. I very rarely use the large ring on clubruns and I'm averaging close to 32km

jonesy124

i dont find it all that hard at all. The daily cycle i do has the odd hill in it, but nothing long and arduous. I am sure that if I was doing a long ride with lots of hills i would slip into the smaller ring, but at the moment I dont feel the need.

Saif: I work in mph, not km.

The fastest I have gone to date (i have had my roadie for almost a month now) is 31mph. I average at about 18mph and on the flats (the A4) I tend to go about 19 to 22mph depending on wind/energy etc.

All I can say is taht I'm loving this cycling malarky. The only downside is that my friends mock me for wearing lycra. Most of the ones who took the piss happened to be those who were bulging out of their dresses - i suggested taht they should think about giving it a go!

McBain_v1

Absolutely nothing wrong with lasses wearing lycra - provided they are not over-weight biffa's who'd give Mike Tyson a fright (and I'm excluding Jonesy124 from this category right now).

jonesy124

good good, glad I'm not a "biffa" - will have to remember that one.

I quite like wearing lycra (not in a pervy way), I just hate catching clothes on my chain or feeling like my top is acting as a parachute.

McBain_v1

I guess you'll be going for the Assos stuff then because it is quite fitted in comparison to other manufacturers clothing (Rapha has yet to bring out a female-specific line of clothing). Mind you, at the prices either of them charge you could probably buy a nice set of new wheels for the price of their bib shorts and jersey combined :roll:

saif

Etxeondo have some decent clothing , however the supply is not so good and they are a bit expensive too.

saif

Hi

These is a great site and I really appreciate the wealth of information available which is helping me and everyone else here. Reading other threads I came to know if Catford cycling club and did a did club ride with them yesterday. I loved it.

Can some one please tell me if there are any cameras available to record a ride ?

spasypaddy

yeah there are cameras, they are headcams
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/CategoryProduct ... %20Cameras
have a look and shop around, i don't own one so i can't recommend a specific one

saif

another question ..!

Any expert views on cboardman bike (Comp ), I'm trying to get my second bike that I can use during autumn and winter months ? Its priced at 599 , and I may be able to get that through a tax free scheme at work.

saif

why can't we get spare nozzle for the tube ?

nickcuk

saif wrote:

Thanks for all the advise , I now seem to be getting the hang of big chain ring and getting friendlier with it ! Still trying to figure out what should be a respectable mileage/time to be able to seek an entry into a cycling club ?

I read on Congleton CC website that you should be able to run an average of 18mph for an hour over undulating roads or you'll not keep up with the pack, even on an easy ride. I also checked the local club TT results to see what they are doing on a race day - their speeds are too scary by far !

hertsrider

Saif

Check out http://www.londoncyclesport.com/editori ... bs&sp=&v=4 for some clubs covering Kent. The whole site is full of news on riding & racing around the London & Home Counties.